Kahran's Paradise

Severus most often lashes out at Harry when Harry puts himself and/or others in danger – using Arthur's car to fly to school, running away to Hogsmeade while dementors and an alleged murderer are around, being found in a Shack with Black and about to transform into a werewolf Remus, showing up on the first of September late and with a bloodied face, firing Sectumsempra at Draco, etc. Even with the pensive situation, when Severus has a different reason to be really upset, he initially leaves Harry alone with his most private memories because his missing student had been found, AND we don't know what kind of memories Harry might've seen after SWM if Severus didn't drag him out before it's finished.

Severus has a problem with Neville as a student, who is genuinely a physical danger to himself and everyone around him, both with his potions and his spells – even though it's not his fault, of course. It's clear that that he does not want Neville to end up harmed.

Severus calls Hermione an insufferable know it all – in contrast to him just telling her to sit down or stop showing off elsewhere in the books – during the werewolf class, where he tries to warn students about the danger Remus poses to them.

We see Severus running up the corridor at night because he heard a scream; he shows a similar reaction when he hears Trelawney loudly crying, and when Myrtle shouts "murder". I also think that him being shown to patrol corridors at night more than other teachers (“You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night...") has to do with him being worried for their safety – see Fluffy, moving staircases, etc. We don't see Severus showing animosity towards students – and overall people – whom he doesn't see as dangerous to others (a casual reminder for anyone who might need it that Snape is not shown to be equally hostile towards all students or all gryffindors in Harry's group).

I think you might lowkey describe the same smell just from the perspective of someone who doesn't dislike it or its bearer😭 Like Rowling's description is something Harry would say, yours maybe comes from Lucius or Albus.

Basically, this is a really weird description, because "bitterness" isn't a particular smell per se, and "old shoes" can smell very differently in relation to the type of shoes and condition of it, but here are my thoughts/Severus' fragrance headcanon/meta/something:

Wanting to apologise when you lashed out at a person important to you during a traumatic event is normal. If he didn't try to apologise, those people would've been the first to say that's evil since he didn't show remorse, and didn't truly care.

Severus didn't try to intervene in the Gryffindor common room, follow after Lily when she ended the conversation, or stop her from leaving in any way, even just verbally. He wanted to apologise, and since the conversation seems to happen on the same day the SWM did, or at least to be their first personal conversation, there wasn't really a way for her to directly tell him they aren't friends anymore.

We don't know if Lily sent Mary to tell Severus that she won't go out, or if Severus met Mary independently when he arrived/she herself went out to ask what he wants/Lily sent her to ask what he wants and not nessesarily to communicate anything. We have absolutely no indication that Severus tried to force his friendship on Lily after she personally told him they are done. I headcanon he tried to apologise a few more times, but that's the matter of personal text interpretation.

Threatening someone to bring harm or discomfort on yourself – like sleep in the hall – if they don't talk to you is manupulative to an extent, and definitely unhealthy, but how the fuck do you want Severus' attachment to be healthy? I have no doubt that he'd actually go with that and sleep under Gryffindor common room, just as he claims. Genuinely, it doesn't seem like it's the most harmful or humiliating thing a person with his mindset would do to himself to make amends for something.

We never get an indication of Snily friendship from anyone but Petunia, and the grown up Marauders during their fits of victimblaming never mention it, and never frame Snape for being a nuisance to Lily. We also know that according to Marauders, on their 7th year Severus didn't communicate to Lily that her boyfriend still bullied him behind her back – something that we are told she didn't know about. We also see Severus respecting Lily's personal space before SWM, with her hanging out with her friends who apparently do not like him, and him not trying to approach her after the exam.

HEWWO Y'ALL HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!

TODAY I OFFER WALMART!!

LOOK AT HIM!!

HE'S BEING A LOAF

AT LEAST I THINK HE'S BEING A LOAF

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK